How to Stop the Weekend Binges

Never had I thought that I wasn’t the only one who was struggling with the weekend binges. But yeah, I was not.

When I was in my worst phases of my food and weight struggles, I’d restrict massively for 6 days and then binge on everything on either Saturday on Sunday. All week long, I’d think about ALL the things I’d eat on that day: Nutella, butter, pretzels, chocolate, pizza, noodles, ice cream, cookies, more chocolate, more Nutella, more ice-cream, more Pizza, more candy, more, more, more. I’d dream of those foods and on the morning of my designated day, I’d wake up before dawn because I was so freaking hungry and so ready to EAT.

At that’s what I did: from morning to evening, I’d hardly do anything else but watch TV and eat. I’d eat so much that I sometimes gained 6 pounds in a day. I’d eat so much that I felt sick – every darn time.

It was actually awful. There was no enjoyment, just fear: fear of gaining weight, fear of having to go back to dieting again, fear of tomorrow, fear of life.

So, if you’re struggling with the weekend effect like I was, here’s how to get yourself to stop:

1. Eat your cheat foods, bad foods, guilty foods, whatever you call them, during the week! (And yes, you may end up binging on them during the week too – but only during the transition phase!) No more restricting during the week. No more “I’ll eat this on Saturday” thoughts. The more you do that, the more pressure you’ll build, which will end up in a huge binge.
2. Don’t start your week with a new diet. I know it is tempting, especially if you’ve just had a weekend of binging, but again, if you restrict too much, you will ERUPT and you will binge again.
3. Stop labeling food as good and bad. Food is food. Period.
4. Nourish your body, mind, and soul during the week. Binging is not just a “physical thing”. Binging often results from emotional pain. That’s why it’s important to not just address the physical restriction, but also your emotional world. What do you need in order to feel more “full” on the inside? What’s not working in your life right now? What needs to change? These are super important questions to answer. Sometimes, the answers are obvious; other times you need to dig deep to figure out what’s going on. But the more you do the more you’ll heal both physically and emotionally.

It’s time to stop the restrictions and to find your “full”.